NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: The 2012 Hyundai Veloster is a nice, somewhat niche addition to the Hyundai lineup. I like its looks inside and out, and it's reasonably fun and tight to scoot around town in.

The appearance is cute, sporty and blends curves and bling (the headlights are seriously striking) with a spunky silhouette. It's all topped off with one of the sharper rooflines I've seen on the road. I like it. Some will, others won't, perhaps preferring a more conventionally sporty coupe.

The drive experience isn't especially rewarding for enthusiasts. Despite the relatively light curb weight, the engine still feels just adequate. The transmission is fine, and the paddles are rather fun, allowing you to pop in downshifts through curves and then upshift as the speed builds. I loved the expansive sunroof. Just crack it open, along with the windows, and there's excellent airflow. Open the roof up all the way, and it almost feels like a convertible. I liked the three-door layout, too. The back seat was tight but not overly punishing for the one person I put back there. I loved this hatch. It's perfect for a holiday weekend on the go where you're pretty much living at speed.

The inside is respectable, too. Most of the materials in there look and feel solid, especially the dash and the controls. There's a bit of plastic, but it's used to accent things nicely.

The chassis is reasonably tight, the steering has decent weight and the dynamics are solid. Still, the six-speed manual makes the Veloster come alive and feel more energetic for enthusiasts. Give me a little more power (which is coming in the turbo model), and I'd like it a bit more. The fuel economy, however, is impressive.

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: Well, it's different, that much I can say. You won't see yourself coming and going much. Based on my very unscientific poll last night some think the Veloster looks modern and fun and some think it is laugh-out-loud ugly. I got all kinds of reactions.

How does it drive? Simply put, it needs more power. Thankfully, a turbo is coming. There's nothing really wrong with the normally aspirated engine that about 70 hp wouldn't fix, and the turbo will be punching in at 201 hp, which should be perfect. This engine you need to work hard, and throttle response is lazy. The trans was cool, though.

The ride/handling mix was OK, mostly neutral and it was a nice ride over all but the worst road imperfections. I also like the steering.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: I like what Hyundai is doing here—creating a coupe that offers a little extra flexibility and functionality with the nearly invisible third door. More automakers need to build in function while still cutting a sporty line. The Veloster does that in spades.

Power is a bit of an issue: At lower speeds the Veloster feels heavy and cumbersome. Some of that relates directly to the somewhat jerky action of the dual-clutch gearbox at launch and in low-speed driving. The good news for anyone who appreciates sports cars is that the Veloster improves dramatically at speed, at higher rpm and when pushed. Slapping the stick into manual mode and running to redline significantly ups the fun factor, with the gearbox holding right to the top of the rev range before automatically swapping out to the next gear. If the revs become too much or you want instant control, simply grab the shift paddle and the DCT reacts with little lag in tranny response. Even the chassis seems to spring to life with better handling at speed, as though it is set up to reward edgier driving.

Another plus is the car's sharp interior, which is well laid out, offering a good driving position, and all of the controls are handy and easy to manage.

Other than the need for extra power and the aforementioned low-speed dullness, I noted that the car doesn't really do a very good job of handling bumps in corners. It can really get tossed off its line without a lot of provocation. It will be interesting to see what upgrades and improvements come with the Veloster Turbo.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR DAVID ARNOUTS: After a weekend with the Veloster, I was more than satisfied with the unique three-door. It received plenty of looks both on and off the road, but my load of passengers had mixed feelings leaning more toward the positive side.

At one point I had four full-grown adults packed in, and while it wasn't a long ride the complaints weren't terrible. Obviously, the smaller back seat wasn't kind to anyone taller than about five-foot-five, but it sufficed in a pinch.

Fuel economy was adequate; I expected more considering most of my driving time was spent on the highway.

The interior looks and feels good for a car at this price point, and the style and technology packages are money well spent.

While it took some adjusting to get comfortable, the biggest problem I found were the gigantic blind spots over the driver's shoulders. Even with the mirrors set far back, it was enough to lose full-size cars and small pickup trucks.

SENIOR ONLINE EDITOR RORY CARROLL: While I think that I, at 29, am a good deal too old for a car that looks like this, I still find it charming that Hyundai would embellish an inexpensive little hatchback as it has. If I'd have seen this thing 10 years ago, I would have loved it. The styling is far wilder than almost anything available on the market, and if there were more teenagers with the means to purchase a new car, I'd imagine that Hyundai would be selling quite a few of these little things. The front end is a little over the top, but I love the way the roofline tapers toward the back end of the car.

The interior carries over the same sci-fi styling and it's put together pretty nicely.

The suspension is tight, but with the dual-clutch transmission, it's a miserable car to drive. I won't whine that it wasn't the turbo model we'll be getting soon. With this transmission it's hard to judge the character of the engine except to say that it is noisy in the worst possible way.

Under hard braking, the rear of the car will step out a bit. It's not what I'd call dangerous, but it's a little unexpected in this age of homogenized transport. But then, the whole car is pretty unexpected.